What is Happening Around Homelessness?

Upcoming Dates

Remember that this week is the week to get your clients to sign up for a housing voucher. Right now the website is down, but it should be up soon. This is only going to be up for this week. You can also go to www.cmha.net to get more information. The housing voucher program is only open for a short time every five years. If you do not get on the waiting list this week, then it could be a long wait. Last time 40,000 people applied and 10,000 were put on the waiting list.

Hand Up Gala--October 21, 2011
Mark your calendars for the second annual fine dining meal for homeless people will be October 21, 2011 at the Cosgrove Center. The dinner will again be prepared by Sans Souci chef John Aldewereld, and will mark the kickoff of the winter activities for NEOCH. This is a fund raiser for both Catholic Charities and NEOCH in addition to raising awareness. Cosgrove will use their funds for transportation, and NEOCH will use our funds for our blanket and winter supplies distribution program. Check the website for more details and to look at the pictures from the event last year.

Homeless Congress September 8 at 1 p.m.
Every month homeless people meet to discuss issues that have an impact on the entire community. The big issue is passing a County minimum shelter standards bill. The meeting takes place at the Cosgrove Center at 1 p.m. typically on the second Thursday of the month.

Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meeting--September 12, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.
Every month housing advocates, landlords, social service providers and government officials meet to work to prevent any further loss in affordable housing. Typically, there is a speaker who details new projects or expanded opportunities or gives a status update on critical programs in the community. Then someone from HUD provides information on any troubled property in the community. The meeting is the first Monday of the month at HUD 1350 Euclid Ave. unless there is a federal holiday (like in September).

Finally, NEOCH is introducing an electronic newsletter only for paid members of the organization. We hope to send this out every two weeks and will give additional resources as well as look at current advocacy around homelessness. If you are a paid member of NEOCH, send us an e-mail to make sure that you are on the list (neoch (at) neoch (dot) org.

Brian
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Youth Forum Set For Saturday

Organize!Ohio Event at Trinity

The Youth Truth Commission will be this Saturday, May 21 at 2:00-5:00 pm at Trinity Commons, 2230 Euclid Avenue (parking off Prospect). We would like as many of you as possible to attend. We are still looking for testimonies from youth. If you know of youth who would like to testify please let us know. Particular areas where we are looking for youth testimonies include:

• Right to a Quality Education,
• Right to Feel Safe in your School,
• Right to Shelter for those who need it,
• Right to access to Public Transportation
• Right to Decent Paying Jobs

There will be also skits music and refreshments. We hope that many of you will be able to come. NEOCH staff, Luke Drotar will be part of the commission hearing the testimony from youth. We hope that you can attend.

Brian

For more information contact:

Larry Bresler

lbresler (at) organizeohio (dot) org

Organize! Ohio

216-651-2606

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Zero Eviction Day

Time to Reclaim The Housing??

To commemorate Zero Evictions Day as designated by the International and US/Canadian Alliance of Inhabitants ( a grassroots coalition working for the rights to housing) Northeast Ohio Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign along with the United Clevelanders Against Poverty, Northeast Coalition for the Homeless, the Homeless Congress and others will be holding a protest calling for upon the government and banks to turn over vacant foreclosed home for housing for persons without homes. This comes at a time when there are substantially more foreclosed properties in Cleveland and the United States than there are people who experience homelessness.

It will be happening this Monday at 1791-1793 East 31^st Street , Cleveland (between Paine and Superior ). We chose this property in part because it is an example of a vacant property that has been abandoned by the bank that now owns it. We will be meeting at 1:00 pm at the property. The event will be over by 2:00 pm.

We hope that many of you will be able to participate.

Brian

Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Guitar Festival in Kent

Annual Woodchopper's Ball 2009

9 of the finest acoustic guitarists anywhere performing. Proceeds benefit the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless on Saturday December 12, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Kent Stage in beautiful downtown Kent.

Reserved seats are $20 for 9 artists or $2.20 per artist. You can purchase tickets at the Kent Stage Box office by calling 330-677-5005 or go to www.kentstage.org. Brian Henke is the organizer for this ninth Woodchopper's Ball.

Scheduled Musicians:

· Helen Avakian

· Greg Gilbertson

· Tim Thompson

· Kyle Reeder

· Brian Henke

· Eric Wilson

· Stephanie Jackson

· Todd Hallawell

· Robin Kessinger

· Hosted by Charlie Brown

Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

We Are Back...

Join Community Shares for their Kickoff

Sorry, but I have taken a few days off so no posts recently. I was waiting for one of the Presidential candidates to announce Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps as the choice for Vice Presidential candidate. Nothing yet... While we wait, please consider joining social justice advocates for the Community Shares kickoff.

NEOCH receives Community Shares dollars, and you can donate to NEOCH through Community Shares. We support Community Shares through our sweat equity and our support of the 36 other Shares funded organizations. We hope that you will support Community Shares by attending their kickoff of their 2008-9 Campaign:

September 4, 2008
11:00 am
Cleveland City Hall Rotunda
Invited Guest of Honor: Mayor Frank Jackson
Guest Speaker: Councilman Anthony Brancatelli

Participate to show your support!

Come out in support of Community Shares and its 36 social justice organizations.

• Each member has a goal of getting 30 supporters to attend.
• When you arrive, please be sure to register in support of your favorite Community Shares organization.
• Bring your ID to enter City Hall.
• Arrive early!
• Refreshments!

We want 1,000 friends to attend!
For more information, call the Community Shares office at 216-361-9920.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

More Updates from the Coalition

Homeless Coalition Upcoming Events

1. Ione Biggs Award Nominations Due Monday: You still have time to submit a nomination for the Ione Biggs Award using our website. Go to http://www.neoch.org/nav/contactus.htm and complete the application and send it to NEOCH. The application is a two page summary of the accomplishments of your nominee and their work on social justice in 2007.
   
2. NEOCH Annual Meeting March 20: All members are welcome to attend the NEOCH Annual Meeting on Thursday March 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the NEOCH offices at 3631 Perkins Ave. Third Floor Conference Room. We will look back at 2007, give out a few awards and look at 2008 including our upcoming planning process.
3. Training at May Dugan Center on March 25: The new self help legal center opened and there are now computers available for people who need legal assistance, but cannot find a lawyer to help. In addition, HousingCleveland.org has been up and running for 2.5 years now. If you want to know more information about either of these programs, there is an in-service training on Tuesday March 25, 2005 at 2 p.m. at the May Dugan Center . May Dugan is at 4115 Bridge Ave. in Ohio City . You need to park on the streets, because there is no parking available in the lot. This training is directed at social service providers, case workers and anyone interested in knowing more about these two resources. For more information call 216/432-0540 or 939-1850.
4. Human Services Institute March 28, 2008. The Center for Community Solutions sponsors a gathering for human services workers in the community at the Cleveland Convention Center on March 28, 2008 all day. You can register at www.communitysolutions.com. NEOCH staff will be conducting a workshop on ideas for finding jobs for the difficult to employ. We hope that you can join us with the keynote speakers of Erin Gruwell of Freedom Writers Foundation and Richard Rodriguez, an author and journalist for this event.
5. Volunteer Orientation March 29, 2008. Did you make a New Years resolution to volunteer to end homelessness? We have an easy way to fulfill that resolution. NEOCH is hosting a volunteer orientation on March 29 at 1 p.m. at our main office 3631 Perkins Ave. third floor conference room. We have legal needs, voice mail assistance, general office, event planning, fund raising, street newspaper help, and advocacy help. You can volunteer once a week or once a month. Whatever your skills or your availability we can find a place for you to help us end homelessness. Please RSVP to Larry Davis at 216/432-0540 ext. 103.
6. Homeless Congress on Thursday April 3: The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Homeless Congress is Thursday April 3, 2008 at 1 p.m. at the Bishop Cosgrove Center ( 1736 Superior Ave. ). This is when representatives of the various shelters meet to discuss issues. The public is welcome to attend.
7. Save the Date May 2, 2008--Partnering to End Homeless Fund Raiser: Please put in your calendar the date for the NEOCH Fund Raiser is May 2, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. This year the event will be at GESU family center near John Carroll in University Hts. Invitations and Save the Date Cards are on the way.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Two Big Events Coming Up

Martin Luther King March and Lt. Governor at CAHA

On Thursday August 23 at Noon on the Payne Ave. side of the Welfare Building at East 17th and Payne Ave. will feature a MLK Jr. March and Speak Out. In August of 1963, King led a march for Jobs and Freedom, and Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor will mark this anniversary by hosting a demonstration. August marks the anniversary of welfare reform in Ohio and the United States, and activists will call attention to the deplorable job being done to lift Cleveland out of the poorest designation. The march will ask for a strong safety net, jobs. and living wages. After the speak out the group will march over the Cosgrove Center on East 18th for some planning activities.

On October 1, 2007 Lt. Governor Lee Fisher will present the state of affordable housing in Ohio and goals for the Department of Development to the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance. The meeting is open to the public at 1:30 p.m. at 1350 Euclid Ave. U.S. Bank Building in the lower level. Fisher is also the Director of the Department of Development, and will answer questions from the audience as part of the discussion. More details to follow.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.